Physics - Forces

Front

What is a force?

Back

A force is a push or pull acting upon an object as a result of its interaction with another object.

Front

What unit is used to measure force?

Back

The unit of force is the Newton (N).

Front

What is friction?

Back

Friction is a force that opposes the motion of an object, acting parallel to the surface of contact.

Front

What is gravity?

Back

Gravity is a force that attracts two bodies towards each other, commonly experienced as the force that pulls objects towards the Earth.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Front

What is the normal force?

Back

The normal force is the support force exerted upon an object that is in contact with a stable surface.

Front

What is applied force?

Back

An applied force is a force that is applied to an object by a person or another object.

Front

How does mass affect force?

Back

According to Newton's second law, force is equal to mass times acceleration (F=ma); thus, greater mass requires greater force to achieve the same acceleration.

Front

What is net force?

Back

Net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on an object.

Front

What is the difference between static and kinetic friction?

Back

Static friction acts on objects that are not moving, while kinetic friction acts on objects that are sliding over a surface.